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Newborn screening

Simple tests that protect your baby

In the first week of life, your baby is offered two routine screening tests:

  • The Newborn Bloodspot Screening Test (also called the “heel-prick” test)
  • The Newborn Hearing Screen

Both are quick, gentle, and designed to pick up rare but serious conditions early, when treatment is most effective. This page explains both.

The two screening tests at a glance

Newborn Bloodspot Screening Test

A test for 9 rare but serious conditions that can be treated effectively if picked up early.

When: Day 3 to day 5 of life. How: A few drops of blood from a small heel-prick, placed on a special filter card. Takes: About 5 to 10 minutes.

Newborn Hearing Screen

A test of your baby’s hearing, to pick up hearing loss early.

When: In the first day or two of life, usually before you go home from hospital. How: A soft earpiece in each ear, which plays a clicking sound and measures the response. Takes: A few minutes per ear, when baby is settled (usually after a bath or feed).

The Newborn Bloodspot Screening Test

In the first week after your baby is born, you will be offered the Newborn Bloodspot Screening Test, often called the “heel-prick” test. This test helps to identify babies who may have a rare but serious condition for which early treatment is essential. It is offered to all babies in Ireland.

A midwife will explain the test before it is done. With your consent:

  1. A small needle pricks your baby’s heel.
  2. A few drops of blood are placed onto a special filter paper card with four circles.
  3. The card is sent to a national laboratory for testing.
  4. Results are sent back to your maternity hospital, your GP, and your public health nurse within a few weeks.

The test does not hurt for long. Cuddling, breastfeeding or holding your baby’s hand during the test helps.

What conditions does the test screen for?

In Ireland, all babies are currently offered screening for:

  • Phenylketonuria (PKU): A rare condition where the body cannot break down a particular amino acid. Treated with a special diet.
  • Galactosaemia: A condition where the body cannot break down galactose (a sugar in milk). Treated with a special diet.
  • Maple Syrup Urine Disease: A rare metabolic condition affecting protein breakdown.
  • Cystic Fibrosis: A condition that affects the lungs and digestive system. Early treatment makes a big difference.
  • Homocystinuria: A rare metabolic condition. Treated with a special diet and vitamins.
  • Congenital Hypothyroidism: Where the thyroid gland produces too little thyroid hormone. Treated with daily medication.
  • Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCADD): A rare metabolic condition.
  • Glutaric Aciduria Type 1 (GA1): A rare metabolic condition.
  • Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID): A rare condition affecting the immune system.

Please check current information at hse.ie/newbornscreening. The list of conditions screened for can change. Most babies do not have any of these conditions, but the test is valuable because, for the few babies who do, early treatment can make a major difference to long-term outcomes.

The Newborn Hearing Screen

Babies need to be settled and ideally asleep for the Newborn Hearing Screen. Once your baby has had a bath or a feed and is relaxed and asleep, this is the ideal time to screen. The test is quick and non-invasive.

A soft probe is placed into the ear, much like an in-ear earphone, and this delivers a clicking sound. A working ear emits a sound back, which the screener’s device records. This indicates that the ear is working, and the screen is complete.

If a clear response is not recorded on the first attempt, the same screen can be repeated 5 hours later or the next day. Sometimes a clear response is not picked up because the baby is unsettled, or because of normal fluid in the ear after birth. A second screen often gives a clear result. If both screens do not give a clear response, your baby will be offered a more detailed hearing test with an audiologist as a follow-up.

A “refer” result on the screen does not mean your baby has a hearing problem. Most babies who are referred for further testing go on to have normal hearing.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to do the tests?

No. The tests are offered as routine, and we strongly recommend them, but you can decline. If you decline, you will be asked to sign a form. Speak to your midwife or doctor first so you have all the information.

The heel-prick causes a brief sharp feeling. Most babies cry briefly. Cuddling, holding, feeding during the test, or skin-to-skin contact, all help.

The lab repeats the test on the same sample to make sure. If there is still a positive result, you will be contacted quickly, and your baby will be referred to a specialist for further tests. A positive screening result does not always mean the condition is confirmed.

If results are normal, you usually won’t be contacted; your public health nurse will confirm at her first visit, and the results go on your baby’s record. If anything needs follow-up, you will be contacted within a few weeks.

The bloodspot test may be delayed, repeated, or adjusted. Your neonatal team will explain.

If your baby was born at home, transferred quickly, or for any reason missed the test, contact your public health nurse or GP. The test can be arranged in the community.

Visit hse.ie/newbornscreening for the latest information, including the full current list of conditions screened for and translations in other languages.